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Book review 4: The Final Summit

The book is so fresh, I've only seen it, but not had it in my hands yet. Still, we'll tell you the little we know. And promise a fully fledged review (as) soon (as we get our copy).

The Final Summit is Go Seigen meeting Honinbo Takagawa in his last jubango. Kamakura, played during the start of World War-II was a symbol of styles and the world around go changing. Final Summit (1955-6) stands out as a symbol in the change of structure in the new world for pro's. With his win in this jubango, Go Seigen confirmed once more his virtual status as 'Meijin' in the classical sense: 'on white' against all others for decades. But fresh reality were komi games. And no more 'given' titles. At the other hand, the 'Meijin' was not allowed to play for traditional titles, like Honinbo. That's why newspapers had come up with sanbango matches of Go against the Honinbo, a prelude to the jubango's.

So, Yomiuri newspaper budgeted a bill for a full-flung Meijin title contest. As a 'democratic, American' way to appoint the first post-war Meijin. Which Fujisawa Shuko won by the smallest possible of margins. In the mean while, Go continued winning a sanbango a year against Takagawa. In 1958 Takagawa stated: "I'm 3 points weaker than Go at go". But he won 3-0 a year later and 2-1 in '60. In the 7th 'Old Meijin' in 1968, Takagawa, honarary Honinbo took away the title from giant Rin Kaiho. Like in his introduction to Kamikura, John uses a quote from sumo. Big-built Rin was known as nimaigoshi. But Go told the new 'old Meijin' was "triple waist stength" ('sanmaigoshi') - at a 100 libs max (i.e. below fifty kilos). Photo: John ponders, scholarly stubborn, over his opening, while all others have left to 'wash their hands' and order another beer: - "Ahum, excluse me, can please have a - hm - coffee, and a cup of tea for my honorable opponent".

At sensei-site Herman Hiddema prepared a page for Final Summit four weeks ago, which links to sample pages. Which includes part of the Player profile of Takagawa, first page of game 1 - "The one with the purple clouds", several pages from the commented games and the start of the Postlude. So now, the competition for the free review copy is down to HH and me ;-)